THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN

Reviews: A music fan from Harwich, MA , October 19, 1998: "Snookered - my own fault, Best of Frank Sinatra! One would have to go in pretty deep to find that these CD's were done in Riga, Latvia and are instrumentals only with nary a sound of Frank Sinatra. My own fault!!"

A music fan from San Fran , May 12, 1998: "Gotta Have it! Who couldn't love Frank and this one is the perfect culmination of his best."

From Amazon.com : "This is a flawless condensation of the three-CD Capitol Years box. Best is close to being the must-buy for those who want only one Sinatra disc. But why would you?" --Rickey Wright

A music fan from Framingham, Massachusetts , September 22, 1998: "The first Sinatra CD I purchased now I am a fan! I generally like the entire CD. It is almost like enjoying a relaxing evening out on the town. Now I understand why Sinatra was so great. This is a terrific buy for those who want to purchase their first Sinatra CD."

A music fan from San Diego, CA , June 9, 1998: "A great variety of Sinatra favorites. I really enjoyed this cd. I love this era of music and I thought that it portrayed it very well. It's great to dance to with that special someone."

A music fan from Utrecht, The Netherlands , May 18, 1998: "Smooth. So smooth is Frank here, so sleek, so in-command that you can almost hear the Brylcreem oozing through your speakers. The Capitol Years were some of THE years for Mr. Sinatra, and the way he wraps his lips around classics like "Night & Day" "I Get A Kick Out Of You" and "Witchcraft" is almost indecent. Grab a scotch, light a cigarette and thrill to Frank at the height (one of many) of his lyrical best."

From Amazon.com: "Each song on this 96-cut collection is wonderful. And the Capitol years were when Sinatra's fullest voice was used on material by the best (Arlen, Porter, Van Heusen, Cahn, Styne). But a purist will miss the narrative that was so special in the original albums. Records such as This is Sinatra, Songs for Swingin' Lovers, and Only the Lonely were among the first concept albums in pop music. If you're used to hearing "Three Coins in the Fountain" after "I've Got the World on a String," this relatively random cornucopia--though full of great music--will not leave you feeling as satisfied as the old LPs. This is a fine primer for newcomers, but you shouldn't miss the tracks that never became singles, including such classics as "Pennies From Heaven" and "Old Devil Moon." --Karen Croft

Reviews: JJ Buford@aol.com from Somerville,Mass. , October 10, 1998: "It swept me back to a time when worries were so few. The Four Aces Greatest Hits is filled with the songs that take you back in time when life was so simple and carefree. I put this CD on and I'm swept away to my youth where I can spend some precious moments without a care in the world. CLASSIC ACES!"

Marshall Leach (mleach@ee.gatech.edu) from Atlanta, Georgia USA , September 13, 1998: "Lush instrumental music with a modern interpretation. In this album, arranger and conductor Michel Legrand presents a modern interpretation of 18 musical standards that were popular in radio broadcasts in the wake of the World War 2. If you like lush instrumental music with muted brass and the ear-kissing sounds of magical violins, all with a modern bass beat, you will enjoy this album. The tempo varies from "drifting and dreaming" to the infectuous sounds of "toe tapping" Latin rythms. This is easy listening music that sounds great in the background or in the foreground."

From Amazon.com: "Frank Sinatra turned 80 in 1995, and Capitol released this two-disc "best of" in celebration. Sinatra's initial tenure at Capitol, which lasted from 1953 to 1962, is generally considered to be his artistic watermark. His voice and technique had improved considerably since his initial peak of popularity in the mid-'40s (the "swinging" phrasing most commonly associated with Sinatra's style really came to the fore during the Capitol years); he also had the good fortune to work with Nelson Riddle and Billy May, whose inventive arrangements certainly brought out the best in Sinatra's singing. This set's song selection is tough to argue with, but you'll really need to get all of Sinatra's Capitol albums to gauge the true measure of the man's artistry." --Dan Epstein

New Musical Express (12/9/95) " ...virtually beyond language. The Cole Porter numbers are so classy and dry it almost hurts...and the sad songs are tears on the ocean floor.... we should all own every single one of Sinatra's Capitol recordings but this is a...good start."

"Music's bluest-eyed octogenarian receives birthday honours from Capitol Records/EMI Records, with these releases featuring both early and late Frank Sinatra. Starting at the beginning, Sinatra 80th: All The Best is a double CD collection of Capitol Records sides from the smoochy, early days, not too long after the singer had made the music industry an offer it couldn't refuse. Some of it is cheesy stuff to be sure, but Frank Sinatra's intonation and timing were impeccable during these commercial Capitol Records years, and the quality of his voice tends to give some weight to even the most cliched and syrupy of lyric and arrangement. Any casual admirers looking for the most popular Frank Sinatra sides would find them all here-from his swinging masterpiece Come Fly With Me to the ever-witty Love And Marriage. Sinatra 80th: Live In Concert features highlights from those highly successful late '80s tours, when the whole world seemed to be whistling New York, New York. Age has ensured that his voice has lost much of its warmth and delicacy, but great music is sometimes made from limitations, and there is probably more feel here than in any other period of his lengthy career." --Linton Chiswick -- © Emap Consumer Magazines Limited. For personal use only.

Entertainment Weekly (11/11/94): "This 60th-anniversary double-CD set brings together more classic pop hits than have been found in one place in years... "

Entertainment Weekly (3/24/95): "...The jazz-tinged '30s/'40s awardees are damn near the definition of 20th-century popular music. By the '60s the set sinks toward elevator snooze, but at least a few '70s women shatter the blandness by powerfully belting out their ballads... "

Dirty Linen: "Just what the world's been waiting for... an all-inclusive box set of Oscar- winning songs from the past six decades! Once you get by the mega-hype, settle yourself down in a comfy chair and give your ears a trip down memory lane. The standards are all here: "When You Wish Upon a Star," "Over the Rainbow," "Thanks for the Memory," "White Christmas," "Mona Lisa," "Whatever Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)," and "High Hopes." The others, well... how can you refuse such songs as: "Born Free," You Light Up My Life," "High Noon," "The Windmills of Your Mind," "Gigi," "Never on Sunday," and "Theme From Shaft"? You can chart a few trends like kiddie sing-a-longs ("Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" and "Chim Chim Cher-Ee"), soppy love ballads ("The Way You Look To-Night" and "I Just Called To Say I Love You") and nostalgic reminiscences ("The Way We Were" and "The Last Time I Saw Paris"). It took Rhino more than two years to get the licensing agreements ready. Bruce Springsteen, apparently, is impossible to license, so they had to settle for Ritchie Havens doing "Streets of Philadelphia." There's also a wonderful booklet featuring essays and track annotations by Will Friedwald and Paul Grein, interviews with Sammy Cahn and Alan Menken, and year-by-year listings of nominated songs the winners were up against. And of course there is the high-interest "Oscar-winning factoids," anecdotes highlighting the more dramatic, amusing, or perplexing cir cumstances of the song choices." T.J. McGrath-- © Dirty Linen, Ltd. All rights reserved